Handbook of Best Practices - (BC) Aboriginal Child Care Society

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and hire someone who can do more than one job. For example, a part-time cultural resource person could also be a bus driver. Work together with the Band or host agency to keep costs low and make the most of a budget (see Appendix 1B for a sample Cultural Worker Job Description). 3. Start a group in the community that is focused on strengthening the local culture and traditions, and work together to support children’s learning. Bring the Acquiring Resources It’s an unfortunate reality, but ECD programs face the same scarce resources as other government funded initiatives. The basics can be difficult enough to acquire; cultural resources, sometimes viewed as “extras,” even more so. The more creative you can be about acquiring your own resources and making the best of what’s readily available, the better. Workshop participants made the following suggestions for acquiring such resources. A word of caution: be sure to assess the material for focus and credibility before making it part of your program (see Appendix 1C): • Raise extra money by getting an Air Miles card with the agency’s name on it, or by pooling Canadian Tire money to purchase program materials. • Encourage staff to collect as many resources as they can on their travels, and to always be looking for new and innovative techniques or methods. • Work together to extend your resources. For example, the cultural resource person and the language instructor might work together to develop additional activities such as beading or sewing. CULTURALLY FOCUSED CURRICULUM community together, identify roles and responsibilities and assign tasks. 4. Develop your own library with books available at all reading levels. Include an informal lending library for staff and parents, keeping a written record of loaned books. Identify contacts within the community to help find resources; you can never have too many. • Make maximum use of community resources. The libraries at Westcoast Multicultural and Diversity Services, the BC Aboriginal Child Care Society and local Child Care Resource and Referral Programs have a wealth of resources to tap into (See “Resources Index” below). • Invite community members to workshops to make baskets, drums, masks and blankets. Some Elders will provide lessons in a traditional activity for a small fee. • Use the Internet. Searched properly, it holds a wealth of information on virtually any topic. Some Internet sites even feature language dictionaries. Keep in mind, though, it can take time to “search” effectively. • Make use of traditional guest speakers in your own community or outside it. Bring them in to talk to parents, Elders or the community at large. • Go to other bands and other territories to share and trade goods, skills, curriculum and ideas. 3
4 CULTURALLY FOCUSED CURRICULUM Informal Publishing Informal publishing can be a powerful tool for teaching and validating the local culture and community. To maximize the production of locally produced cultural instructional materials, think about partnering with the elementary or high school to get older students to write and illustrate local stories and legends. Consider the following themes: • Traditional perspective on the beginning of the world; • Traditional perspective on nature; • Local heroes, both living and from the past; • Traditional foods; • Traditional humor; • The clans, houses or other groups in the community; • Traditional view of sharing; • Water; • Animals as neighbors; • Aboriginal history, including recent experiences like residential schools, the Potlatch law and the reserve system; • Traditional housing, past and present; • Traditional tools and equipment; • Trading; • Traditional language and its relationship to other languages; • Traditional beliefs; • Masks; • Traditional dances; and • Traditional songs. Keep in mind, children love big books with illustrations that are 16’ by 20’ or larger. Keep the story lines simple, with maybe 10 words (in large print) per illustration. Only one copy of each book is necessary, but make sure they can be reproduced easily. Photos are an option for some themes. Local elementary and high school children could also help assemble multi media kits with pictures, items for touching and manipulating, sounds and smells, based on a theme. These are low-budget, but age-appropriate resources with local relevance.
Page 1 and 2: Handbook of Best Practices in Abori
Page 4 and 5: A Note to Readers In the spring of
Page 6 and 7: Language Recognition. Programs shou
Page 8 and 9: Early childhood development (ECD) p
Page 10 and 11: Acknowledgements From the Vancouver
Page 12 and 13: Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page 14 and 15: TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Six: Chil
Page 16 and 17: Chapter One - Culturally Focused Cu
Page 20 and 21: Best Practised Strategies for a Cul
Page 22 and 23: The Four Sacred Medicines Tobacco:
Page 24 and 25: Go On Outings • Go ice fishing.
Page 26 and 27: 2. Funding • Full-time positions
Page 28 and 29: Johnston, Basil H. Tales of the Ani
Page 30 and 31: Shemie, Bonnie. Mounds of Earth and
Page 32 and 33: to learn their knowledge, involving
Page 34 and 35: Excerpt from: McLeod, Darrel. 2001.
Page 36 and 37: Appendix 1E - Recipes Indian Ice Cr
Page 38: CULTURALLY FOCUSED CURRICULUM Appen
Page 41 and 42: 26 TRADITIONAL LANGUAGES AND LANGUA
Page 45 and 46: 30 3. In the classroom • Present
Page 60 and 61: For the purposes of this handbook,
Page 62 and 63: 1. Involve Parents and Extended Fam
Page 64 and 65: • Have an annual (or more frequen
Page 66 and 67: 6. Invite the Community In • Invi
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parents. Consider taking a few pare
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BC Parents in Crisis Society, Abori
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Programs include: First Nations Ful
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Kids Help Foundation Help Phone Pho
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NETWORKING AND OUTREACH Appendix 3A
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Appendix 3B - Foodsafe Contacts Int
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Appendix 3C - Funding Opportunity:
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NETWORKING AND OUTREACH in the fiel
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Partners in Organizational Developm
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Chapter Four - Policies and Procedu
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• Staff receive a discount for a
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The Temperament Project Kate Anders
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Suggested special-needs policies
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is not specified in licensing regul
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POLICIES AND PROCEDURES Ongoing Pro
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• utilizing the extended family a
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ip that book,” we say “books ar
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POLICIES AND PROCEDURES learn from
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Appendix 4C - Additional policies f
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POLICIES AND PROCEDURES Appendix 4D
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Chapter Five - Program Evaluation E
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addition, involvement in evaluation
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Resources Index * Health Canada. 19
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3. Music and Movement: • cultural
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PROGRAM EVALUATION 8. Staff Trainin
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Appendix 5C - Logic Model PROGRAM E
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The assessing of preschool children
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Guiding Principles When developing
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• Natasha McDonald, the Head Star
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Denver Developmental Screening Tool
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Resources Index * Beaty, Janice J.
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CHILD ASSESSMENTS Appendix 6B - Sup
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Individual Options Program, Mission
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Community Integration (with Queen A
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Conclusion CONCLUSION The belief th
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What did you learn from the handboo
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Handbook of Best Practices - (BC) Aboriginal Child Care Society

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